Consumer Information & Federal Disclosures

Basic Consumer Information

Consumer information items such as cost of attendance, how to apply for aid, and what aid is available vary by school. Please visit your school’s financial aid website for the information including, but not limited to, below.

Financial Aid Contacts
Cost of Attendance
Types of Financial Aid Available
How to Apply for Financial Aid
How Eligibility is Determined
How Aid is Awarded and Disbursed
Transfer Credit Policy
Financial Aid for Study Abroad
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Withdrawal and Refund Policies
Loan Entrance and Exit Requirements
Private Education Loan Disclosures
Gainful Employment Disclosures
Accreditation
Degree and Training Programs Offered
Faculty and Others Offering Instruction
Courses and Required Materials/Textbooks
Facilities and Services for Disabled Students
Student Body Diversity of Enrolled, Full-Time Pell Grant Recipients
FERPA
Misrepresentation

In addition to school-specific consumer information, there is also information about Federal Student Loans, and Harvard's retention and graduation rates on these Federal websites:

Term & Conditions for Federal Perkins and Federal Direct Loans (including deferment and forbearance provisions)
Retention and Graduation Rates

Student Loans Code of Conduct

Harvard University is committed to the highest standard of ethics and conduct, and financial aid staff are bound to the conflict of interest and commitment policies applicable to all Harvard employees. Harvard has adopted a Code of Conduct relating to educational loan programs.

Cohort Default Rate

The Harvard University Cohort Default Rate is 0%.That rate is based on borrowers who entered repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year, October 1st to September 30th, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Equity in Athletics

The Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) requires a school with an intercollegiate athletic program to make prospective students aware of its commitment to providing equitable athletic opportunities for its male and female students. Annually, the Equity in Athletics (EADA) Report is updated as required by October 15th.

Constitution Day

Constitution Day is September 17th. Harvard University observes this day by providing information about the Constitution, and Constitution Day, to all students.

Voter Registration

Information on voter registration in Massachusetts is available at the website established by the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Additional information on registering to vote in any state is available here.

Safety and Campus Security

Certain consumer information requirements are maintained by Harvard University Police Department and by Harvard Environmental Health & Safety. Those requirements include: crime statistics; fire statistics and logs; and alcohol and drug policies.

Information Security

Harvard has developed several policy statements to ensure that Harvard's technical resources are properly protected, that the integrity and privacy of confidential information is maintained, that information resources are available when they are needed and that users of these resources understand their responsibilities.

Student Inquiries and Complaints

The Financial Aid Offices at Harvard make every attempt to resolve student complaints promptly. If you feel the situation was not resolved appropriately you may contact the University Ombudsman Office, the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education or the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group.

Veterans & Active Military

Additional disclosures for veterans and those active in the military can be found on our Veterans & Active Military and Active Military Tuition Assistance pages.

Distance Education

Harvard University is approved by the accrediting agency NECHE and the U.S. Department of Education to participate in Title IV federal student aid programs where students are enrolled via Distance Education (please contact your school's financial aid office to see if your program is approved). Harvard University is a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), an agreement among member states, districts and territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education.

Professional Licensure Programs

School of Dental Medicine

The following programs are accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), and as such, meet the requirements for licensure in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.

Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)
Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD)
Dental Public Health
Endodontics
Orthodontics
Oral Medicine
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Pediatric Dentistry
Periodontics
Prosthodontics

Graduate School of Design

The Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) program is accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board. Combined with practical experience, it meets the requirements for licensure in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.

The Master of Urban Planning (MUP) program, combined with practical experience and the AICP exam, leads to professional licensure from the American Institute of Certified Planners. Harvard has not determined whether the program meets the educational requirements for professional licensure in any state other than Massachusetts.

The Master in Architecture (MArch) program, combined with practical experience, leads to professional licensure from the National Council of Architecture Registration Board. Harvard has not determined whether the program meets the educational requirements for professional licensure in any state other than Massachusetts.

Graduate School of Education

Certificate of Advance Study in Counseling leads to professional licensure in the state of Massachusetts. Harvard has not determined whether the program meets the educational requirements for professional licensure in any state other than Massachusetts.

Harvard Law School

The Juris Doctor (JD) program is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), and as such, it meets the requirements for licensure in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.

Harvard Medical School

The Doctor of Medicine (MD) program is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, and as such, it meets the requirements for licensure in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.

Chan School of Public Health

The Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency (OEMR) program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and as such, meets the requirements for licensure in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.

Vaccination Policies

The HUHS Health Information Services/Medical Records department is responsible for safeguarding the medical record information of each patient. They also process your health documentation, immunization forms and requirements, and authorize access to your online medical record.

Penalties and Institutional Policies on Copyright Infringement

Digital Millennium Copyright Act

Unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material, including unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing, may subject the students to civil and criminal liabilities.

Summary of Civil and Criminal Penalties for Violation of Federal Copyright Laws

Copyright infringement is the act of exercising, without permission or legal authority, one or more of the exclusive rights granted to the copyright owner under section 106 of the Copyright Act (Title 17 of the United States Code). These rights include the right to reproduce or distribute a copyrighted work. In the file-sharing context, downloading or uploading substantial parts of a copyrighted work without authority constitutes an infringement.

Penalties for copyright infringement include civil and criminal penalties. In general, anyone found liable for civil copyright infringement may be ordered to pay either actual damages or “statutory” damages affixed at not less than $750 and not more than $30,000 per work infringed. For “willful” infringement, a court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed. A court can, in its discretion, also assess costs and attorneys’ fees.For details, see Title 17, United States Code, Sections 504, 505.

Willful copyright infringement can also result in criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 per offense. For more information, please see the website of the U.S. Copyright Office at https://copyright.gov.